Chocolate Artisan Bread

I was looking for new recipes the other day, I wanted to make a chocolate bread. I'd had it a few years ago and it was so good. It was a quick bread, almost like a cake or muffin. But during my search I found recipes for different kinds of Chocolate Bread. Some were like the one I was looking for while others were a more traditional yeast bread. I decided to adapt one I had seen. It appears to be very much like my Artisan Bread. Just a chocolate version! Which okay sounds awesome, especially because that means that its super easy to make!  I love it when an idea changes and that change turns out to be something better and easier than what you were planning in the first place!

I like to eat this bread toasted with a little butter on top! YUM! I bet it would be great with a Raspberry Jam and also it also makes a really decadent French Toast! 

Here's what you'll need:

6 cups flour

1/2 tsp instant or active-dry yeast

2 1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup Cocoa Powder

1 cup Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

2 2/3 cup cool water (I added a little more this time a tablespoon or two)

A 6-8 quart heavy covered pot

Here's how you make it:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated; the dough should be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest 12-18 hours on the counter at room temperature. Mine has taken the full 18 hours every time.  When surface of the risen dough has darkened slightly, smells yeasty, and is dotted with bubbles, it is ready.

Lightly flour your hands and a work surface. Place dough on work surface and sprinkle with more flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice and, using floured fingers, tuck the dough underneath to form a rough ball.

Generously dust a piece of parchement paper with enough flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the paper as it rises; place dough seam side down on the paper and dust with more flour. Cover with a second piece of parchement and let rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

After about 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, in the oven as it heats. When the dough has fully risen, carefully remove pot from oven. Remove top parchement from dough and slide your hand under the bottom parchement; flip the dough over into the pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough looks unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, until the crust is a deep chestnut brown. The internal temperature of the bread should be around 200 degrees. You can check this with a meat thermometer, if desired.

Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Enjoy!